


Styles

by SharkGirl



Series: Cirque de Glace [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Acrobat!Guang-Hong, Acrobat!Minami, Acrobat!Phichit, Acrobatics, Alternate Universe - Circus, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cirque de Glace, Clowns, Daredevil!Emil, Death-defying Acts, EmiMike, Gen, Harlequin!Georgi, Harlequin!Seung Gil, Jack-of-all-Trades!JJ, Minor Blood (not descriptive), Ringmaster!Victor, Self Confidence, Self Confidence Issues, Stuntman!Otabek, Tamer!Yuri, Trick Rider!Mila
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 10:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9175753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: Ah, yes.  JJ would take him under his wing and show him proper show etiquette.  Or, since his act was up after theirs, he could just provide an excellent example.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Ah! I had so much fun writing JJ~ He's one of those characters that I couldn't stand and then, all of a sudden, he was precious *sings Theme of King JJ* (Well, I shouldn't say I couldn't _stand_ him, but I didn't care for his cockiness) Also, Isabella is an angel. ♥
> 
> BUT! If you're one of those who still doesn't care for JJ...this chapter really goes into the other characters' acts and roles in the circus, so I suggest reading it for that. ^^ (of course, I wrote it, so, I'm going to want you to read it...)
> 
> Un-beta'd. Please enjoy!!

It was a troupe tradition that, before the end of each season, their beloved ringmaster would hold a showcase.  During which, each act would present what they deemed worthy of inclusion in the next season’s program.  Sometimes it was adding a trick or skill not previously mastered and other times it was an entire new routine, pushing the envelope to continue surprising the audience and keeping them on the edge of their seats.

This season was no exception.

Each group took the stage and presented the fruits of their labor.  Mila added a hoop to her trick riding.  But it didn’t end there.  With a flick of her wrist, the lights went out and her hoop began to glow.  It was mesmerizing.  It was flawless.  It was-

“Accepted!” Victor applauded when she was finished.  “Next, please!”

The tumblers showed off their newest skills, including a synchronized floor routine and an ending that had Minami jumping off of the springboard and landing with his feet on Guang Hong’s shoulders, while the Chinese acrobat stood on Phichit’s.  It was quite impressive.  But the best part was when Phichit whipped out his phone and took a quick selfie of their triple-decker masterpiece, posting it while the other’s dismounted.

The photo had over a thousand likes even before Victor approved their stunt for the new season.

After the acrobats, came the clowns, or, as Georgi preferred they be called, the harlequins.  Their antics were interesting, as always.  Georgi juggled and did flips and arabesques, while Seung-gil rode around on a unicycle and bounced a ball back and forth with his dog – who looked rather dashing in his checkered hat and frilly collar.  The dog, not Seung-gil.

JJ watched as the stoic clown pedaled around, wheeling up a ramp and making his way across a miniature version of their high wire.  Yes, their act was good, but it was nothing compared to what the King of Ring had planned.  His act would surely amaze and astound.  Of that, there was no doubt.

The harlequins finished their performance and bowed.  All eyes were on Victor as he regarded them, rubbing his chin.

“It’s good…” he mused, narrowing his eyes. “But it’s missing something.”

“I know,” Georgi admitted, face crumpling. “I tried to carry on, but, you see, my girlfriend Anya, this morning she…l-left m-me,” he stammered, his lower lip quivering. “I know the show must go on, but I was having trouble focusing-”

“Heartbroken, hmm?” Victor’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Use that!”

Georgi blinked up at him, but nodded.  He seemed a little dazed as he picked up his props and loaded them back into their wheelbarrow, but he was smiling by the time he made it to his seat.  In show business, motivation was everything.  And, for JJ, his motivation was to exceed everyone’s expectations and become the next ringmaster.

Next up was the daredevil act.  Normally, Emil would do something ridiculous like swallow swords or try to shoot himself out of a cannon – he almost succeeded last time – But now that he had the new guy – an ex-stuntman, JJ recalled – there was less of a chance of him setting himself on fire.  Then again, that was his act two seasons earlier.

The two walked into the center of the ring, Emil grinning and energetic as always and Otabek looking focused and a little scary.  JJ would have to give him some pointers on smiling for the audience.  Their newest addition had spent his time hiding his face for movie stunts or being hidden under a blacked-out helmet for shows, so he probably wasn’t used to being seen. 

Ah, yes.  JJ would take him under his wing and show him proper show etiquette.  Or, since his act was up after theirs, he could just provide an excellent example.

Emil introduced them and suddenly the lights went out.  A few moments passed before a spotlight shined down on Otabek, now on the other side of the arena.  He was seated on a rumbling motorcycle and he revved the engine to further draw the crowd’s attention.

Showy, but not bad, JJ thought.

Another spotlight searched the floor until it landed on Emil, also on a motorbike, but on the other side.  Then the lights came back on.  In front of each of the daredevils was a tall ramp and, between those, a huge gap, nearly the length of the arena.

“Ooh, a jump!” Victor clapped his hands together before bringing a finger to his chin, clearly interested.  But would it be enough to impress him?

Emil mentioned something about putting some flaming buses or the like in the large space between the ramps, but he said they were still working that part out.  Then the drum roll track began to play, courtesy of their audio visual expert Leo de la Iglesia.  Who, even during small, intimate events like the showcase, still felt the need to set the mood musically.

After putting on their helmets, both men released their kickstands.  Emil raised his hand to give the signal and then they were off.  They easily cleared the gap and landed safely on the other ramp, touching both wheels down and spinning around to climb it once again.

Emil dismounted and bowed, but then held his hands up, speaking loud enough so they could hear.  “And that’s not all!” he said, cupping his hands on either side of his mouth. “I’m still working on this, but Otabek here has something he’d like to share with all of you!”  He quickly wheeled his motorcycle down the ramp, probably to leave room for whatever it was Otabek had planned.

JJ glanced over at Victor, whose eyes were trained on the ex-stuntman. 

Otabek rode back down the ramp and readied himself to take off again, but before he did, a loud voice pierced the tense, anticipatory silence of the arena.

“Oi, Beka!” Yuri, their tamer, called. Otabek turned and looked straight at him, apparently not needing to scan the crowd in order to lock eyes. “ _Davai!_ ” Yuri said before folding his arms over his chest.  Otabek gave a curt nod and a thumbs-up before facing the ramp again.

That was unusual.  The Great Yuri Plisetsky never cheered for anyone else.  JJ whipped his head around, trying to gauge the others’ reactions, but no one seemed to think it was out of the ordinary.  Just _when_ did those two get so close?

Then the drum roll track was playing again and Otabek hunkered down before taking off.  It looked like he was just going to make the jump again, but, at the last moment, he reared back, sending the bike spiraling backwards as they propelled across the gap.  Four back-flips later, he landed on the other ramp, sliding to a halt.

Everyone in the troupe just stared at him in stunned silence for a moment before they erupted in a fit of cheers and screams.

“Did you _see_ that?!”

“That was amazing!!”

“Was that a quad? I think it was a quad!”

JJ had to admit that the ex-stuntman’s trick _was_ impressive.  But it wasn’t like he did something no one had ever accomplished before, even if it _was_ exceptionally rare.  He wasn’t breaking new ground.  Not like JJ.  JJ’s newest addition to his extensive repertoire was a classic, but it would still astound and amaze.  He couldn’t stay still.  He was always adding new things.  It was how he’d gotten his stage name The Jack-of-all-Trades, or, as JJ preferred the brochures to read, The Jacques-of-all-Trades.

Yes.  Otabek was talented and his rugged and dangerous style was attractive enough.  But no one could outdo JJ.

“That was magnificent!” Victor cheered, standing up and clapping his hands.  Emil and Otabek had made their way back in front of them.  “But, I have to know. What’s your success rate with the quad?”

“I haven’t missed during a performance,” Otabek answered.

“And, Emil.” Victor turned toward the other daredevil. “You believe you can execute this, as well?”

“I can do doubles regularly and I did a triple in practice,” he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

“Interesting.” Victor sat back down, unable to hide the excitement from his face. “Hmm…”  He stayed like that for a moment, even after the others took their seats.  JJ was waiting to be called, but the call wasn’t coming.  He cleared his throat loudly, but it took Yuuri whispering in their ringmaster’s ear for the older man to take notice.  “Oh.” He blinked. “Who’s next?”

“That would be me.” JJ stood up and held his arms out.  “Though, I hardly think I need an introduction.”  There was a collective sound akin to a groan, but he thought he might have been hearing things.  “Today, I will perform a classic circus sideshow act,” he went on as he made his way to the center ring. “But I’m going to do it JJ Style.” He struck his signature pose and winked.

“Get _on_ with it!” Yuri shouted, kicking the back of the seat in front of him.

“Very well.” JJ beamed. “But first, I shall require a volunteer from the audience.” He clasped his hands together and waited for the onslaught of ‘me’s and ‘here’s.  Yet, they didn’t seem to come.  “Come now,” he continued. “Surely, one of you is brave enough?”

“Perhaps if you told them for what they’d be volunteering?” Victor helpfully suggested.

“Of course.” JJ gave a quick salute. “Today, I shall impress the audience with a daring demonstration of the impalement arts.”

“Ooh, _that_ sounds interesting,” he heard Chris stage whisper to Victor.  But still, no one volunteered.  JJ was starting to sweat.  Perhaps he had too many spotlights on him.

“I’ll do it!” Finally, Emil stood up and raised his hand. “What kind of daredevil would I be if I didn’t risk bodily harm for a friend?” He laughed.

“Thank you, Sir!” JJ applauded and motioned for his volunteer to join him in the ring. “Now, I’ll just need to strap you onto this.”  He gestured toward a large wooden spinning wheel with leather belts.  It was actually an old relic from circuses past that he and his father had cleaned up.

“Sounds fun!” Emil smiled and stepped up onto a stool so he was in the right position.

“Our good friend, Emil will be strapped onto the spinning wheel for his safety,” JJ explained as he pulled on the restraints to ensure they were good and tight. “It’s best if he’s unable to wiggle around.”

“Mickey, check me out!” Emil called and gave a small wave, since his arm was basically immobile.

“Although this is an antique, I have equipped it with a few modern gadgets, for example.” He pulled out a remote and gave it a click.  Half a second later, the wheel started to spin, moving Emil along with it. “Comfortable?” he asked and the blond nodded, giving a thumbs-up.

JJ turned toward the audience and, although they didn’t look nearly as excited as when the daredevils were performing, they did seem interested.  Good.  He could work with that.  They’d be amazed soon enough.

“Now, we’ll start on the slowest speed,” he said and then placed the remote back in his pocket. “And, I do ask that the members of the audience hold all applause until the end of the performance, so as not to break my concentration.”

There was a bit of murmuring and then silence.  JJ smirked and grabbed his daggers from the stool beside him, unwrapping their leather case and laying them out for easy access.

“Now, without further ado.” He side-eyed the spectators before picking up a knife and sending it flying.  It landed right between Emil’s spread legs.  “Okay. Let's up the speed,” he said, slipping his hand into his pocket to change the setting.  But, even though the act was impressive and the daggers embedded themselves where they were supposed to land, the audience didn't look enthralled.

He slowed down the spinning and tried a different tactic, waiting until Emil came to a complete stop before throwing two knives at once.  Each landed next to his ear.  Far enough away to spare his fly-away hair, but close enough to be impressive.

But still, when he looked back, his fellow performers didn’t look amused.  In fact, a few were talking to Otabek.  JJ wouldn’t lose to him.  Not to some new guy.  He was their show’s current star.  He grabbed another knife and readied himself, but, as he tried to focus on the target, the wheel started to spin.  He thought he might have hit the button by mistake, but then there were two Emil’s dancing around, each with a concerned expression on their face.

JJ closed his eyes and shook his head.  He raised the knife high and aimed for the spot just below Emil’s arm.  Just as he was about to release the blade from his fingers, however, he saw Otabek’s amazing quadruple back-flip replaying in his mind’s eye.  He let it go and then there was a shout.  JJ came out of his fog just as Emil started yelling.

“I’m okay, I’m okay!” he called. “It's just a scratch.”

JJ blinked and looked forward.  His knife had missed its target and nicked Emil’s arm, staining his light blue leotard red.  With wide eyes, he turned toward the audience.  Michele was practically climbing over the chair in front of him, Sara barely holding him back and trying to direct him to the stairs.  Phichit and Minami were the closest, already removing the restraints and helping Emil down.

He stared as everything seemed to move in slow motion.  He’d never missed.  Not once in practice.  He was always focused.  Even when the wheel was at its highest speed, he hit the target.  How could something like that have happened?

“What was that?!”

JJ was jarred from his thoughts when he felt two hands on his shoulders, shaking him. 

“You could have _killed_ him!”

“Mickey, I’m fine!” Emil was behind Michele, trying to pull him off of JJ.

“Everyone, please calm down.” Victor clapped his hands and the other performers turned to look his way.  “We will continue with the showcase,” he said. “Emil, please go with Mila to get first aid and to ensure your wound is as superficial as you claim.”

“Yes, Sir.” Emil walked over to the redhead.  Michele released JJ’s shoulders, clicking his tongue in disgust before turning and following after them.

“JJ, please take a moment to collect yourself.” Victor put a hand on his shoulder, but he barely felt it.  “Now, I believe Chris and Yuuri are next?” he said as he made his way back to his seat.

On numb, wobbly legs, JJ staggered out of the ring and toward his dressing room.  How could that have happened?  How could he have gotten so distracted during a performance?  How?

Just then, his phone went off.  He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, glancing at the screen.  His beautiful fiancé’s smiling face stared back at him.  He swallowed and answered the call.

“Hello?”

 _‘What’s wrong?’_ Isabella asked.  Of course he couldn’t hide anything from her.

“I…I messed up.” He shook his head, still not believing it himself.

 _‘I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,’_ she offered. But, even her comforting words weren’t enough at the moment. _‘JJ?’_   She must have asked him something else that he hadn’t answered.

“Sorry, I’m just…a little out of it,” he admitted.

_‘Why don’t you tell me about it?’_

And, so, he did.  He expected her to be disappointed in him, but she was kind and understanding.  She did, however, tell him to go and apologize to Emil right away.  So, once he was off the phone with her, he made his way to the daredevil’s dressing room.

He knocked and waited.  Michele was the one to answer the door.

“What do _you_ want?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“Oh, Mickey, let him in!” Emil called and, with a reluctant sigh, Michele opened the door and moved out of the way.  “Hey, JJ!” Emil greeted from his chair, the top of his leotard unzipped and pooled around his waist and his arm wrapped.

“I’m…” JJ froze, unsure how to continue.

“Either apologize or get out,” Michele snarled.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I never missed in practice. Not even once,” he went on. “If I’d known for a second that I might have injured you, I never would have-”

“It’s okay.” Emil stood up and walked over to him, clapping him on the shoulder. “We all make mistakes.” He offered an understanding smile. “This isn’t the first I’ve bled for the sake of this show and it won’t be the last.”

JJ released a breath, letting his shoulders slump and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Michele shake his head and move to sit down.

“Thank you.” JJ gave a slight bow. “Is your arm alright?”

“Ah, it’s just a scratch.” Emil waved his hand in dismissal. “I won’t even have to take time off. Which is good, because I’m going to nail that quad flip before our next showcase.”

“You will not!” Michele shouted from the chair. “Why are you always in such a hurry to injure yourself?”

“It’s part of my job, Mickey.” Emil laughed. “Ah, but if you’re worried about me-”

“I’m _not_ worried.” He folded his arms over his chest.

Suddenly, JJ felt like he was intruding on something.  He cleared his throat and, when neither man looked his way, he excused himself.

He still felt bad about what happened, but he understood now that it wasn’t the end of his career.  Emil would be fine and his act could be salvaged.  And, even if he had to change it to something else, he’d manage.  He was the Jack-of-all-Trades and the King of the Ring, after all.  He was Cirque de Glace’s next ringmaster and the star of the show.

He was JJ and he would not be intimidated by a stuntman’s trick.  Nope, not one bit.  He’d keep moving forward because JJ never stands still.  He’d pick up the pieces and come up with something even better.

Because, after all, that was the definition of JJ Style.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, JJ~
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!


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